Michael Jordan Steakhouse Is An Absolute Game Changer!

So when I was invited down to try The Table 23 Menu at Michael Jordan Steakhouse, here’s what I pictured: TVs with the game on, sports memorabilia on the walls, loud noises, bar food, the works.

You know, the usual.

What I got though was elegance.

Truly, pure elegance.

Elegant food, elegant armopehre, elegant staff, an elegant evening. Yes, seriously, all that elegance from a steakhouse named after the world’s greatest basketball player.

I’m still really as surprised as you are. But as I wrote in the title, this spot is a game changer.

I met MJSH’s executive chef, Chef Craig, about a month ago when I was judging The Super Bowl chef’s competition on WCIU and he invited me down to try his Table 23 Menu, a collection of things he and MJ loves at the restaurant.

What I ate below blew me away and they’re worth shouting about. And shout I shall:

THE STARTERS

I think you can judge a lot about a place by the first dishes to come down, and my god, MJ is all kinds of a win for it’s starters. We had an incredible crab cafe with Meyer lemon aioli, double smoked bacon with a candied maple glaze and a seriously tasty Caesar Salad.

And of course, it’s hard to argue when the first thing they place down is this truly fantastic cocktail:

Spectacular.

THE STEAK

It’s a steakhouse, let’s talk steak. What we were served The MJ’s Delmonico, which is 16 oz USDA Prime, Dry-Aged 45 Days with a ginger-balsamic jus and it was… perfect. So flavorful, pink on the inside, perfectly tender, an amazing cut of meat. I could have eaten it for dinner and then breakfast with eggs and then basically every meal for the rest of my life.

That’s how damn good it was.

As an added bonus, we were also able to try their seafood plate, which was fresh, flavorful and scared the hell out of my friend as it came down looking at her.

THE DESSERT

We were told that we would be trying the legendary 23 Layer Chocolate Cake. On the menu it just says two words: “Enough said.”

Enough said indeed.

Now, eagle eyed viewers might notice that there are only 21 layers in that cake above. Well, the other two are the layers of chocolate used to keep the cake up and supported, because this was a towering monster of chocolate and deliciousness. Ugh, so good.

We were also able to try the Sweet Potato Cheese Cake Marshmallow with anglaise and candied sweet potato (Nom!) A perfect end to the meal.

THE ATMOSPHERE

As I mentioned before, it’s a really beautiful spot. As beautiful as any steak house I’ve ever been to, and much more so than sports bar in the city and maybe existence.

If you haven’t walked through it, even for just a drink, do yourself a favor and give it a go.

THE CHEF

Chef Craig is honestly one of the nicest, best guys in the city. I’ve seen him cooking around Chicago, at Culinary Fight Club, at Ramen Fest, at Bacon Fest, all over. If you ever see him anywhere, say hey and let him know Alex from Yelp sent you. You’ll get a smile and a handshake for sure.

What an experience, I’ll be back for more steak, more drinks, more of an experience. I loved every moment of it. Michael Jordan’s is a… sorry, I can’t help myself… it’s a slam dunk.

ABOUT “TABLE 23”

Here’s what Michale Jordan’s Steakhouse has to say about Table 23:

“‘Table 23’ will elevate your evening to the level of greatness. As you would expect, this special table is reserved for Michael. But when he’s not there, you can sit in his place—with your friends, family, teammates or business colleagues. You can take in the scene from his table of greatness, while dining from a menu of Michael’s signature favorites.The special Table 23 Menu is $300 for a table of two, and $600 for a table up to four guests. The menu also includes expertly selected wine or beer pairings to complement each course. For reservations, please reach out to Vina Moore at vmoore@mjshchicago.com“